CPU Showdown

Core Ultra 5 225vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core Ultra 5 225 is a modest, everyday desktop chip for standard PC builds, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a workstation monster built for heavy multi-threaded tasks and content creation.

Intel Core Ultra 5 225
10C / 10T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core Ultra 5 225

Arrow Lake-S · 3 nm · 2025

18score
3.8/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
10 / 10
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz
L3 Cache
20 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

64score
4.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
32 / 64
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
128 MB

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core Ultra 5 225
18
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 255.6% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#107Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS18
#108Core Ultra 5 22518
#109Core i9-14901E18
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore Ultra 5 225Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores1032
Threads1064
Base Clock3.3 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.9 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache30 MB32 MB
L3 Cache20 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 5.0 and 4.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel® Graphics
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process3 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall for users needing extreme multi-threaded performance, leaving the Core Ultra 5 225 far behind.

Best value

For budget or value buyers, the Core Ultra 5 225 is the smarter pick due to its lower power use and cost.

When the other wins

The weaker Core Ultra 5 225 is the right choice for a quiet, energy-efficient office PC where single-thread speed is enough.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core Ultra 5 225 better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (64 vs 18 out of 100), so it leads the Core Ultra 5 225 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core Ultra 5 225?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 256% faster than the Core Ultra 5 225 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core Ultra 5 225 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core Ultra 5 225 is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.